Cadbury WorldA Chocolate Lover's Dream Day Out

If you're a chocoholic and in England, then it would be almost a sacrilege to miss a visit to Cadbury World.

Make your way to Bournville near Birmingham and the Cadbury Bunny's delights are just minutes away. It's an indoor attraction, so you don't need to worry about the weather when planning your visit.

The site opened in 1990 and was an immediate hit. Over 400,000 people came to visit in its first year! Now, there's also a sister Cadbury World in Dunedin, New Zealand - right on the other side of the world.

Since the 1800s, when they began making chocolate, the Cadbury family have been known for their 'advanced' ideas about running a business.

While other manufacturers built their factories wherever was space, the Cadbury brothers wanted a beautiful open-air location for their factory. They believed that men should work where the air is clean and they can see the countryside.

And along with a garden factory, which was a much sought after place to work, they offered affordable homes for key employees and hard working retirees.

The company is still unique today and in an effort to bring not only their product, but also knowledge about chocolate, to the public, they created Cadbury World, where chocoholics from all over the world stop for a bit of history, a little knowledge about chocolate production and a whole world of mouth watering taste.

You can ride around in a Cadbury egg mobile or simply view the sights on foot. And if you happen to wander down Cocoa Road, look out for the talking chocolate splots in the street.

Cadbury World is a hands-on type of educational-amusement area. You can have fun making chocolate and taste test some of the new products. Maybe you'd like to join the candy makers and take a shot at it yourself. That's possible. The very nicest part is that you can eat your successes. And your failures as well.

There are plenty of areas where you can find demonstrations and a multitude of interactive displays. Watch the candy makers create Cadbury cream eggs before your very eyes when you take the factory tour. You even get to write your name in chocolate at one of the demonstrations.

The Purple Planet is a "must see" for both young and old. In this state of the art, interactive area you can grow cocoa beans, chase a chocolate Cadbury Cream Egg, create an image of yourself in chocolate and enjoy a good virtual chocolate rain. Rain will never taste the same again - I promise!

There's a picnic area if you brought your own lunch, or a restaurant if you did not. And then there's the shop, where you can buy all manner of tasty Cadbury chocolates ... heavily discounted, too. That alone is almost worth the trip to the park.

There's no denying the fact that this is a very popular attraction. As well as individual visitors, it welcomes school parties and groups, so it can get busy at times. To make sure you get in, buy your tickets online or book ahead by calling 0845 450 3599.

Cadbury World accepts all major credit cards and even has an ATM on site for your convenience. Entrance to the park costs £13.45 ($21) for adults and £10.10 ($15) for children. Students' and seniors' tickets are priced just pennies above that and children younger than four go free. There are special discounts for groups and families.

The park closes in December and most of January but is open the rest of the year. If you're planning a visit check out the Cadbury World Opening Times.